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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · staff · pitch · bass · content · degree · leaves · current

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. degree — an amount
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. current — happening now
  6. stem — to come from
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. content — the amount
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bass — low music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. degree — temperature
  14. staff — employees
  15. content — happy
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. staff — employees
  20. current — of water
  21. degree — from a university
  22. current — electric
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com